The Abbeville messenger. (Abbeville, S.C.) 1884-1887, 1887-01-11
Tho Confederate Home.

none struck me more forcibly than the
piticul ruins Of the "Confcderatc Home,'
instituted twenty years ago, for the care
of tho needy and helpless mothers and
widows, and the bringing up and educat-
ing of the daughters of Confederate
soldiers.
This institution, we'll known to SO
many in our city, is the life work Of Mrs,
NJ. A. Snowden, whose own large wealth
went down in the war, but whose great
humanity, indomitable courage, pre-
severance and philanthropic efforts
nothing could overcome. Amid tho
wreck of her own fortune she magnani-
mously commenced the upbuilding Of
the fortunes Of others worse wrecked
than herself. The Confederate Home
was the result. Here some hundreds Of
feeble old mothers, neutrality-suspicious. and
young daughters of Confederate soldiers
find a shelter and the comforts Of ahome
The sick are nnrsed and the girls educat-
cd and. uscfully..taught to care for them
selve and others.
1t was summer vacation when the
earthquake took place, and the school
girls were all away, scattered among
the homes and friends Of the surround
ing country. AS We climbed the broken
stairs up to the attic, the open sky
looked in upon US. Here were three
rooms occupied during school terms, the
one by fourteen, another by five and
another by four young girls who, ifthere
would have been in their bed asleep at
~ O'Clock at night. AS it was there. In
the shock the gables had fallen out and
the entire roof of heavy timbers had fallen
to the floors and laid there, completely
filling the space, as tho cover of a box
which had slipped aside, a perfect trap
nothing could have lived underneath.
But for this providence these twenty
tllrec lives must haav gone out in the
crash.
The structure is all scvprly injured.
and from tho second story must be en-
tirely rebuilt.
One Of the strong early helps for Mrs.
enterprise. twenty years ago, was u
generous donation Of $1,000 from our
revered citizen. Mr.. W. w. Corcoran,
and his first sympathetic and graceful
net, upon the news Of he disaster, Wan
the sending Of q check Of another thous-
and dollars for the "iome."
On my return from Charlcton l took
with me q bunch Of garden flowers, cul-
led by Mrs. Snowlen from among the
debris, reaching down among the stones
and bricks for here and there an uncrush-
ed aower-a bouqet for MIR. Corcoran. l
took them at once to him. He received
them with miostcncd eyes and revercnt
touch. as if something sacred had passed
over them. And SO there had-the
protecting hand Of the Almighty amid
the dcsolating throes Of the terrible
mechanism OF. His wonderful uni
verse.
1t occurs to me. Mr. Editor, that there
may be others among our worthy and
kind-hearted citizens who might be glad
Of the opportunity to give tangible
evidence Of their appreciation Of 80
worthy an enterprise, and their sympathy
with its misfortune. I accordingly
venture to make these facts known to
YOU, thanking you may possibly lay
them before your readers. If so, please
kindly remind them of what I think is
already generally undcrstood-that not
n dollar Of tho money contributed for
Charleston. and now in course Of dis
tribution. is to be used upon the public
buildings or institutions Of the city--only
upon its private homes. Mrs. Snowden
tells me that from $4,000 to $4,000 will
be needed to make the Confederate Home
again fit for use:
the banking house Of Riggs & Com
pany, of this city, has kindly accepted
ihe charge of all contributions made for
that purpose, and will forward the same
to Mrs. anowdon.
I remain. MIR. Editor, very turly
yours.
CrxRA RAprnN.